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Scott was reading through his Forbes magazine in February 2008 when an article caught his eye. It was about a guy around his own age named Tom Morgan that started a not-for-profit group called
The Adventurists that held an annual charity rally from London to Mongolia (note: The Adevnturists are now a for-profit entity). It began in 2004 with six teams and grew steadily larger until they were being overwhelmed by thousands of applicants for the two hundred spots on the list in 2007. The rally was also able to secure corporate sponsors in order to expand their operations; some small names such as Chevrolet and General Motors were a part of the lineup. The rally has two main goals:

1. 1.) To provide the adventure of a lifetime for all participants.
2. 2.) To provide donations and media awareness for several
         charities in Mongolia.

Founder Tom Morgan states:

“Nowadays, there are so many organized tours and guide books to every place you want to visit that adventure has become impossible to find. The idea behind the League of Adventurists is to organize events in which participants can go off the map. At the same time we’re raising money for charity, and we’re close to our goal of raising $1 million a year through such events.“

It sounded like quite a good time. Scott decided that if given the chance, he’d like to participate, and promptly set about drawing up plans for a rally that he had a very slim chance of even getting in to. Although it is possible to do the rally alone, very few do, for many reasons. Scott knew a lot of people, but very few that had 1.) the time, 2.) the funds, and 3.) the willingness to participate in such a trial. But he knew one person who would be game: his longtime friend Collin. He proposed the idea and was met with a great deal of enthusiasm.

Fast-forward seven months. Although he missed out on the initial sign-up (again, all the spots were gone within a few dozen seconds), Scott received an e-mail stating that he was selected from the waiting list to be one of the participants in the 2009 Mongol Rally. Yay.

Now is when the real preparations begin. How will the two raise the thousands and thousands of dollars needed to participate? How will they buy a car in England while they are living in America? Can Scott learn stick-shift? Will their visa into Tajikistan be denied? How many inoculations will they have to endure? This, and much more, to follow in the coming months! Stay tuned.

 

The Rules

 
1.) You must raise at least $2000 for charity to be included (on top of all rally costs, admission fee, etc.). Of course, the more, the better.
 
2.) You can only participate using a car that has an engine under 1000CC. Larger vehicles will be accepted only if they have sufficient novelty value or have special characteristics (ambulances, etc.). Motorcycles and mopeds under 125CC are also allowed.
 
3.) No GPS’s allowed. Be sure to bring along some maps and a compass though!

 

The Charities

 
We are raising money to support various educational, sanitation, and medical projects throughout the country of Mongolia through Mercy Corps. We will also be teaming up with a Rotary Club in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to support the building of a new kindergarten in a remote area of the country. Our vehicle will also be donated to a charity auction at the completion of the rally with all proceeds raised going to charity.

100% of all donations raised go to the charities.